Insulator protector



Jan. 1, 1924 J. E. M CLAIN INSULATOR PROTECTOR Filed Marc Patented Jan.1, 1924.

UNITED STATES 1,479,669 PATENT orrlcs.

1mm ERNEST MoCLAIN, or GREEN'VILLE, Tms, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF T0 was iH. nmsmoim AND BRUCE M. McMAHAN, BOTH or GREENVILLE, TEXAS.

INSULATOR PROTECTOR.

Application filed March 4, 1920. Serial No. 363,309.

To all whom it may concern:

- Be it known that I, JAMES ERNEs'r Mc- CLAIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Greenville, county of Hunt, and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Insulator Protectors,of. which the following is a specification,

It is well known that the cost of ma ntaining an electric ower line inrural districts is increased y the breakage of the glass insulators usedfor supporting the wires. Most of this is caused by persons using theinsulators as targets for stones and rifles, and since the insulatorsare made of frangible material they are readily broken upon impact.

There has therefore developed a necessity for protectors for theinsulators which will prevent the missile from striking the insulators,and my invention pertains particularly to a device of that type.

I am aware that there has been some activity in this art,but as far asknown those which have been developed have some sort of contact withtheinsulator or with the pin upon which it is mounted. The difficultiesattendant upon their use are, however that there is a liability to shortcircuit the current through the protector and further, that the impactof a missile upon the protector is transmitted directly to the insulatoritself or to the pin supporting it. It is therefore necessary to providea protector which has no contact whatever with the insulator and this iswhat I have done.

In the construction of my invention I have had the following objects inview: to produce a protector which would surround the insulator yetwould not completely enclose it, so that the wiring is not interferedwith in any manner; which is simple in construction so that it could bemanufactured at a minimum of cost, which could readily be ap plied tothe insulators now in use, and which is somade that if struck by amissile of any sort it would be deflected away from the insulator.

In carrying out my invention I provide a metallic wall spaced from andsurrounding the lower part of the insulator and mounted preferablydirectly upon the cross arm supporting the insulator, and having nocontact whatever with the insulator nor its supporting pin. This wallsurrounds the skirt of the insulator leaving" the rounded topthereofuncovered so that the wiring is not affected in any manner. Thereis no necessity fotooveringthe top of the on, disclosing the relationofthe protectors to the insulators, V

Figure 2,'is a vertical section through an insulator, the protector andthe cross arm showing the manner of securing the protector in place, and

Figure 3, is a top plan of thesame as F igure 2, showing the spacing ofthe protector with relation to the insulator.

The cross arm 1, is usually of the ordinary wooden construction now inuse but might be of any material or form and is fastened to the pole 2,or other support in the customary manner. At certain intervals theinsulator pins 8, are driven into the cross arm upon which theinsulators 4 are screwed. The insulators are of ordinary constructionand have the customary wire receiving groove 5, and enlarged skirt 6. Itis the skirt that it is most necessary to protect.

The protector comprises in the preferred form, an annular shell 7, madeof cast iron and thick at the base and tapering to a comparatively thinring at the top. The shell is open at both ends and both the inner andouter surfaces are at an angle to the vertical. This inclination of thesurface is such that a missile from the ground is deflected upwardly andaway from the top of the insulator. If the protector is struck radiallyby a shot from the ground the missile is deflected in its coursesufficiently as to cause it to pass away from the top of the insulator,the impact on the protector being very slight due to the angle of thewall thereof, and thus reducing to a minimum the chance of breaking theprotector or penetrating the protector and breaking the insulator. Ifthe missile strikes a glancing blow it is deflected by the annular wall.Lugs 8, extend radially from the shell 7, and have holes 9, throughwhich bolts or spikes 10, pass inorder to tasten the protector to the crss V v The shell is connected directly. to the cross arm and is spacedfrom the insulator and hasno contact therewith. It Will be noted thatthe lo'wer part of the insulator is covered and the part that is exposedto a shot from the ground is Very small.

I prefer to construct the protector as an annular shell but it isobvious that it need not be annular,v as long as it is substantiallyVertical. and has no connection with the insulator nor its supportingpin.

The provision of an open end bottom obiously prevents anaccumulation ofWater or snow, and insures against a short circuit from that cause Iclaim: v

1. As an article of manufacture an insulater protector comprising anopen ended annular shell of cast metal, saidshell being ifOlfmed so thatits outer Wall is at an angle to the perpendicular when in position soas to reduce to a minimum the shock of impact of a missile from thegroun d, integral lugs extendin from the base for securing the shell inposition on a ban-the bottom surface of said shell and said lugs being aplane so that the shell may be affixed to any width of bar.

2. The combination With an insulator and its pin of a bar upon Whichthey are-mounted, a protector comprising an open ended annular shellformed of cast metal surrounding but spaced from the insulator and itspin, said shell being thicker at the base than at the top and formed sothat its outer Wall is at an angle to the perpendicular when in positionon said bar, integral lugs extending from the base of said shell forholding the shell in position on the bar, the base of said shell and thebottom surface of said lugs being in a plane so that the shell may besupported inits proper spaced position from said insulator on said bar,Whatever the Width of said bar may be, the inclination of said Wallacting to reduce the shock of impact of amissile from the ground to aminimum.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

JAMES ERNEST MGQLAIN.

